Redshirt freshman projected to start on defensive front for LSU

The video shows a 240-pound teenager hustling down the basketball court, leaping into the air and dunking the ball with two hands — backward.

Another clip shows the same kid, Frank Herron, on a football field.

He bursts off the line of scrimmage, wheels around the offensive line and knocks the ball free as the quarterback is making his exchange with the running back. Herron scoops up the ball and runs for a touchdown.

“I remember looking when it happened, him barreling down the field,” said Lynord Crutchfield, Herron’s high school coach at Memphis Central. “I thought, ‘Man, That’s a big kid running.’ ”

Herron’s reputation as a big, speedy defensive terror began years ago. He’s now 40 pounds heavier and is a projected starter at defensive tackle for LSU.

Nothing’s changed.

“I see him disrupting things all of the time,” tight end Logan Stokes said.

Halfway through LSU’s preseason practice, Herron is being glorified as a sack-crazed, speed-driven hulk of a defensive tackle. Many talk of his “motor” and compare him to former LSU defensive linemen Sam Montgomery and Claude Wroten.

The public, and reporters, have seen little of Herron in action. The media’s small viewing window during the first week of fall camp has been completely closed. Spring practice only included small observation times, and Herron didn’t play last season, redshirting as a true freshman.

Most, though, are making it pretty clear: Herron will play a lot this season.

He appears to be the guy LSU expects to slide into the starting rotation alongside Christian LaCouture. Junior Quentin Thomas began the preseason as the starter in that spot, but he tore his biceps on the third practice of fall camp. He plans to play this season with the injury.

Miles quickly named Herron as the starter in place of Thomas. Redshirt freshmen Maquedius Bain and Greg Gilmore are expected to be part of the rotation at tackle.

“Every guy has their strengths and weaknesses,” defensive line coach Brick Haley said. “We want to play to Frank’s strengths. We want to give him the opportunity to be that guy, the next man up.”

Herron is your typical inner city Memphis kid, Crutchfield said.

He’s the middle of three children. His mother, Wanlisha Hawkins, raised the kids with help from Herron’s grandmother.

The weeks leading up to signing day were “hectic,” Williams said. Herron had an itch to visit a few other schools — namely Texas.

“It all came down to a kid that committed so early that when he wanted to see other places, everybody made it hectic for him and it kind of spiraled out of control,” Williams said.

In the end, everything’s worked out.

Herron leads a young group of defensive tackles into the season. Just one guy, LaCouture, has played significant downs. Gilmore, Bain and Herron make up a trio of highly rated signees, yes, but one that has zero game experience.

“Everyone’s doubting us saying we’re a young inside,” Herron said. “We got to put our foot in the ground. Let them know we’re here, that you just can’t run up here, that we’re going to stop you.”